Battle of Alton 1643
Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate.
Key facts
| Date | 13 December 1643 | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|
| Year | 1643 | Wikidata P585 (point in time) |
| Era | Early modern (1500–1799) | derived from year |
| Location | England | Natural Earth (modern borders) |
| Continent | Europe | Natural Earth |
| War / conflict | English Civil War | Wikidata P361 |
| Participants | Cavalier, Roundhead | Wikidata P710 |
| Coordinates | 51.1511, -0.9758 | Wikidata P625 |
About the battle
The Battle of Alton (also known as the Storming of Alton), of the First English Civil War, took place on 13 December 1643 in the town of Alton, Hampshire, England. There, Parliamentary forces serving under Sir William Waller led a successful surprise attack on a winter garrison of Royalist infantry and cavalry serving under the Earl of Crawford. The Battle of Alton was the first decisive defeat of Sir Ralph Hopton, leader of Royalist forces in the south, and the event had a significant psychological effect on him as commander. More important to Hopton was the loss of men, however, as he was already short-handed in much-needed infantry. The successful Parliamentarians were able, after their victory, to attack and successfully besiege Arundel, a larger and more formidable Royalist outpost to the south-east of Alton.
At dawn on 13 December, as Waller's army approached Alton, Crawford fled with the cavalry to Winchester, leaving Colonel Richard Boles to defend Alton with only the infantry. Outnumbered and overpowered, Boles's men were soon forced to seek refuge in the Church of St Lawrence, where they made a desperate last stand. Boles was killed, along with most of his remaining men. The Parliamentarians won a clear victory, losing only a few men and taking many prisoners.
Boles's fight is also notable for its demonstrated drama and heroism. Stories boast that Boles killed a number of his enemies before falling himself.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Battle of Alton (revision 1370431811), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; shortened by selecting paragraphs and trimming at a sentence boundary; formatting and citations removed. No text added.
Nearby battles
- First Battle of Alton 1001 · 0 km
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- Battle of Basing 871 · 14 km
- Battle of Cheriton 1644 · 16 km
- Rout of Winchester 1141 · 26 km
- Battle of Englefield 871 · 34 km
Other battles of the English Civil War
- Battle of Kings Norton 1642
- Siege of Chichester 1642
- Siege of Portsmouth 1642
- Battle of Ripple Field 1643
- Battle of Roundway Down 1643
- Battle of Sourton Down 1643
- First Battle of Middlewich 1643
- Siege of Basing House 1643
- Battle of Boldon Hill 1644
- Battle of Cheriton 1644
All 22 battles of the English Civil War →
Browse more: battles in England · Europe · Early modern battles